Several Dead, Missing After Blast at Explosives Plant in Tennessee

By Orlin Milinov

United States:
A powerful explosion tore through an explosives-manufacturing plant in the Bucksnort area of Hickman County, Tennessee, on Friday, leaving several people dead or unaccounted for and prompting a large emergency response and public warnings to avoid the scene.

Local authorities and broadcasters aired aerial footage showing smouldering wreckage across the site, with charred and mangled vehicles scattered around the facility. First responders from multiple agencies rushed to the scene to battle fires, secure the perimeter and search for survivors.

“We can confirm there has been an explosion at Accurate Energetic Systems in the Bucksnort area,” the Hickman County sheriff’s office said in a social media post, adding that emergency services were working on site.

Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis told reporters the blast was “very devastating,” that there were fatalities and that several people were currently unaccounted for. “We do have some that are dead. We do have several people at this time that are unaccounted for,” he said, adding that authorities were mindful of notifying families and that smaller secondary explosions around the site remained a hazard.

Local officials urged the public to stay away from the area while crews conduct search-and-rescue and secure operations. The Hickman County mayor’s office said it could not immediately confirm casualty numbers or the blast’s cause.

Accurate Energetic Systems, founded in 1980, manufactures high-explosive compositions and related products for government and industrial customers. The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Investigators from local and state agencies are expected to examine the site in the coming hours to determine the cause of the explosion and to account for all personnel who were on site at the time. Officials cautioned that the situation remains fluid and asked the media and public to rely on official updates.